Similarly, President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, “In order to curb Zionism and terrorism in the region, the unity of the Islamic world must be reinforced.”

That day, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said a world without violence “is a world free from the Zionist regime” and called Israel the “root cause of all problems, violences and insecurities in the Muslim world and the entire world.” The general staff of Iran’s armed forces also issued a statement calling on all Muslims to attend rallies today to condemn Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands.

Al Quds day is held every year on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and millions of people across Iran and other countries are expected to take part in the demonstrations.

Israel’s head of military intelligence, IDF Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevy, spoke at the Herzliya conference on Thursday about the security threat from Iran. He cautioned that Iran had not abandoned its nuclear aspirations and identified it as the “number one source of regional instability.”

Halevy said, “Iran inundates the region with weapons and know-how for manufacturing them, and it is the central source of advanced weaponry irresponsibly falling into the hands of extremist groups.”

He noted Iran’s investment in research for the benefit of terrorist organisations, and distribution of “do-it-yourself” kits.

Halevy warned that Iran is establishing a military industry in Lebanon and Yemen that would include the production of “precision surface-to-surface missile capabilities.” He said Tehran was engaged in “psychological operations to influence opinion” to undermine public confidence in state institutions and the media, “posing a serious challenge for democracies and government stability.”